Elden Ring Legacy Dungeons guide
Going into Elden Ring is a daunting feat for many a gamer. So, knowing which order you should be facing the Legacy Dungeons will always be helpful.
Here, we’re going to be breaking down all the game’s main Legacy Dungeons and just where they stand to be journeyed through.
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What is a Legacy Dungeon in Elden Ring?
In Elden Ring, a Legacy Dungeon is a contained area within the game, that culminates in a significant boss fight that will usually advance the game’s main narrative.
At the time of writing, there are six primary Legacy Dungeons that we will be focussing on here (but who is to say more won’t be added in the near future?). However, several smaller dungeons still allow you free traversal on Torrent, your Spectral Steed.
- Need more help in Elden Ring? Check out our guide on how to defeat Starscourge Radahn as well!
In which order should you complete the Legacy Dungeons in Elden Ring?
While the Legacy Dungeons can, for the most part, be tackled in any order, we've broken down what we believe is the optimal order you should be approaching them.
Stormveil Castle
Click to enlargeStormveil Castle is Elden Ring’s first test of skill in putting the weapons and abilities the early game has to offer to use. With a series of soldiers ready to face you down and defend the castle, you’ll also have to deal with a cackling merchant who is all too happy to lock you in a room with a deadly knight inside.
Stormveil Castle ends in a boss fight with Godrick the Grafted. A shard-bearer, Godrick is a malformed fiend who, in his second phase, uses a dragon’s head to try and burn you alive. Despite being the stuff of nightmares, taking him down with net you your first Great Rune, a trophy, and the recognition that you are ready to take on the rest of the game.
Academy of Raya Lucaria
Click to enlargeThe eerie Academy of Raya Lucaria feels like the natural progression path following Stormveil, as you’ll be travelling from Limgrave to Liurnia to get to it. Along the way, however, you’ll need to cut your way through the scholars that haunt the hallways, and the Red Wolf of Radagon as well.
Once you’ve made it to the library, you’ll be facing off against Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. While she may not be the most challenging of bosses, she acts as an extremely useful NPC upon her defeat, allowing you to re-spec your characters. So, unlocking her early is very useful indeed.
Volcano Manor
Click to enlargeJust a stone’s throw away from Raya Lucaria, Volcano Manor acts as the perfect mid-game area to see how far you have come. A town sinking into the lava of Mt. Gelmir, it features a mini-boss battle with the Godskin Noble, as well as several different challenges to complete in the closest Elden Ring comes to a covenant system.
The area ends in a boss fight with Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy who, thanks to a very helpful gimmick, can be defeated with relative ease.
Leyndell, Royal Capital
Click to enlargeLeyndell feels like the culmination of your quest. Having fought your way through the hoards of enemies, you’re greeted with the bombastic sight of the Erdtree, with the city built around it. Being the Royal Capital, expect Leyndell to be heavily fortified, with Perfumers buffing knights and gargoyles ready to swoop down on you.
This area culminates in a fight with Morgott, the Omen King. While players got a taste of him as Margit, the Fell Omen at the start of Stormveil Castle, this is an altogether more challenging, albeit highly rewarding, battle.
Miquella’s Haligtree/Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree
Click to enlargePerhaps the most difficult of the Legacy Dungeons, the Haligtree and the city below is the true test of your resolve. Starting high in the branches of the tree, you’ll have to hack and slash your way down to the roots, with hoards of insectoids and the fear of being inflicted by the Scarlet Rot ever-present.
It is no secret at this point that this Legacy Dungeon culminates in perhaps the most difficult boss in Elden Ring: Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Besting her is a true testament to the Tarnished that have made it this far, but it is not the dungeon you should be going through last.
Crumbling Farum Azula
Click to enlargeWhile maybe not as challenging as Miquella’s Haligtree, Crumbling Farum Azula is effectively Elden Ring’s end-game. Completing this Legacy Dungeon will advance the game to a point of no return, changing the dynamic of some essential areas. As such, it should probably be the last Legacy Dungeon you face.
The final boss in this area is Maliketh, the Black Blade, a hulking beast who will sap your health away in an almighty battle before the final boss of the game. And while Maliketh may be the final challenge in this Legacy Dungeon, many players will agree that the REAL challenge, is facing off against the Godskin Duo.
- That’s our take on which order you should be facing the Legacy Dungeons in Elden Ring. Take a look at everything we know so far on the Shadows of the Erdtree DLC too!
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